We'll Age Together, If Only In Our Minds
by Lukas Avier
Summary: Superboy was angry after a training session with no progress. What happens when he gets visited by a strange nineteen year-old with black goggles and a bright grin? The person is hiding something but is it good or bad? And what if no one knows that the person is even staying with Superboy? (I suck at summaries. I'll put a better one up later)
1. Chapter 1

_He joined the team two weeks after Superboy, the Justice League bringing him in this time._

* * *

"Come on," Black Canary sighed to herself, watching as Superboy sparred against Robin. "It's like he's not even trying..." She looked up in surprise when she heard a crash and saw a crater in the ground where the clone smashed his fist. Steely blue eyes met hers, anger rushing through them, and it was then that she remembered that the boy had super hearing, "Superboy-"

"I've heard enough," He stopped himself, storming out of the training room. He ignored Robin and Wally's questionings, entering his room and slamming the door shut. He marched over to his bed, sitting down heavily, and looked down at his hands. He clenched them, feeling the strength running through them. He glanced up in confusion when he heard an unfamiliar heartbeat, followed by frantic foot falls. He stood up and opened his door, nearly falling back in surprise when a blur shot inside, "What the-"

"Shh, he'll hear you!" The person shot forward, covering the clone's mouth with his hands.

Superboy blinked, studying the stranger in his room. He had windswept black hair and tan skin. He wore a pair of pitch black goggles, somehow making it look good. He had on a black sleeveless shirt with the same colored cargo pants and boots. He had on finger-less gloves like himself and a couple of leather cuffs on his arms. "Who are you?" He asked bluntly, moving the person's hand away/

"Um, I shouldn't say right now," The stranger shifted from foot-to-foot. "Superman might hear."

"Superman doesn't come to the mountain," Superboy said, feeling annoyance at the name mentioned. "He won't hear you."

"Oh," The person stepped back, taking a look around the room. "I'm still not sure I should say my name. Batman is kind of sensitive about that stuff," He huffed at that part. "I swear, guy will never let me do my own thing."

"Wait, Batman? How do you know him?"

"Oh, we're old friends," The guy shrugged, a light grin making it's way on his face. "I help around his place when he's too busy."

"Okay," Superboy nodded slowly, processing the information. "And why were you running from Superman?"

"I'm not supposed to leave the League's care," He seemed to roll his eyes by the tone of his voice.

"Why not? Why are they keeping you..." The clone fished his thoughts for the right words, "Locked up?"

"Well, I'm not... Well. Kind of sick, actually. They get all protective over me and stuff. It's kind of annoying though," The guy huffed, frowning lightly. "I mean, I feel _fine_."

"Well, no one's coming down here for a while," Superboy shrugged, moving to his dresser. "They're not coming near me for a bit."

"Why? You seem like a pretty cool guy," The stranger grinned, moving to flop down on the clone's bed, getting comfortable criss-crossed. "What happened?"

"I'm making no progress in my training." Why was Superboy getting so comfortable around this guy? There was just something about him that relaxed the clone. "Canary said it was like I wasn't even trying and I... punched a hole in the ground."

"Oh, you're Superboy," The person nodded, rocking back and forth slightly. "The League really likes you. What's Canary doing for your training?"

 _'The League likes me?'_ "She's having me spar against my teammates to get used to fighting different people," Superboy shrugged.

"Okay, that won't do," The guy raised an eyebrow when the clone looked over in confusion. "Don't get me wrong, she has the right _idea_. It's just... She's two steps ahead. Right now, you need to focus on form and control. Having super strength is nice and all but, if you have no form, you're just a kid throwing a tantrum. Talk to Canary about it. That should help your training more."

Superboy went still for a moment, pausing in his action of opening one of the drawers to his dresser. It could help him? "Could you..."

"Could I what?" The kid leaned to the side, trying to look at his face from the side.

"Could _you_ train me?" The clone turned to the other to see his expression and was surprised that the guy wasn't on the bed but standing next to him.

"You don't even know my _name_ ," Superboy felt rather than saw the penetrating gaze coming from the goggles. "For all you know, I could be an enemy of the _League_."

"I can hear your heartbeat," Superboy deadpanned, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh, true true," He nodded, hand on his chin. "Sure, I'll train ya. We'll start next week, though. I gotta make sure Bats and the rest aren't looking for me here."

"So, are you just Batman's friend?"

"Well, I mean, kind of? I lived with him for a month or two when I was homeless," The guy shrugged, not noticing the clone's wide eyes. "Before that, I kind of just lived on a bus, traveling around whenever I could."

"So, you have no home?" The super was shocked, looking at the guy more closely. No wonder the guy got sick sometimes. He must've had no protection against any sickness going around.

"Nope," The other gave a grin, seeming unconcerned with the news. "But that's besides the point. I lived with Batman for a month or two, got to know his little protegee, Robin. He was such a sweet kid. I helped around the place and took care of Robin when he was sick or injured while Bats went to raise Hell to the kid's attackers."

"Huh," Superboy opened his dresser drawer, pulling out a pair of sweats and throwing it at the other. "Here, wear these."

"Wha?" The guy caught the fabric in surprise, arching an eyebrow at the clone.

"Well, you need a place to stay, right? You can stay here. No one comes in my room. I can set something up for you to sleep on."

"Oh, I can stay in the closet," He grinned brightly, revealing pearly white teeth. "What? It sounds weird and all but I've seen the closets in the mountain. They're _huge_. Plus, if someone _does_ come in, they don't see me hanging around or see any of my stuff."

"Alright," Superboy shrugged. "I think I have an extra bed or something. What do I call you?"

"Huh?" The guy tilted his head in confusion.

"Well, I don't know your name. I mean, what _can_ I call you if not by your real name? And how old are you?"

"Oh, um... The League calls me Core sometimes and I'm nineteen," The stranger shrugged.

"Core? Why?"

"I don't know. They said I 'hold them together' or some crap like that. I'm the 'core' for the League. Green Lantern calls me a human lantern or something like that."

"Alright, I can call you that," The clone nodded. "Let me set up your, uh, bed."

"You are more trusting than I thought," Core laughed, shaking his head. "Here, let me help."

* * *

"You seem happy," Wally said when he got in the living room in the morning, looking at the super. "Why are you happy?" His face flushed when the clone raised an eyebrow at him, "Not that you can't be happy. It's just-"

 _"Recognize Batman B01."_

The two looked over at the Dark Knight, Kid Flash grateful for the interruption. The man strode over and the rest of the Young Justice came to see what the man had to say.

"The League is searching for someone," The Bat began, studying the children.

"Who is it?" M'gann wondered, tilting her head in curiosity.

"We call him Core."

"Core?" Robin perked up before he grinned brightly, something that Superboy realized the boy must've gotten from Core himself because it looked familiar. "Wait, you _lost_ him?"

"We did not _lose_ him," The man aimed a Bat Glare at his protegee. "He managed to run away."

"Who's Core?" Wally asked, scrunching his eyebrows together.

Superboy looked over at the speedster with curiosity. Shouldn't he know who Core is since he's the closest to Robin?

"Core's this really cool guy. He lived with Batman and I when I was four. He was really cool. He was, what, twenty when we saw hm?"

"Nineteen, actually. He managed to escape the League and now we can't find him. We sent Superman but he said he can't find him."

 _'Yeah because he won't come near the mountain,'_ Superboy thought before he realized something. _'Wait... If he was nineteen when Robin was four, shouldn't he be twenty-eight now? I'll have to ask him later...'_

"If you find him, contact me. Do not engage him. He won't attack you but he acts on self defense," Batman said, turning and striding out.

"I made cookies," M'gann said after a moment of silence, motioning towards the kitchen, and everyone but Superboy followed her.


	2. Chapter 2

Superboy walked into the kitchen after a minute of thinking, cautiously accepting a plate of 'cookies' from M'gann. The 'cookies' were more like black disks. He was sure Robin could use them as a personal batarang, should he need one.

"Would you like some milk?" The Martian smiled, holding a glass to the super with a red face.

Superboy just nodded, taking it from her hands. He watched as his team talked among each other; about training, a movie, cookies. But, if he listened closely, he could hear Core humming quietly in his room, moving around. It was a gentle sound and calming to the clone, easing the tension in his body.

"Ready for training next week?" Wally asked, not noticing Robin flailing his arms and making an abort gesture.

"Yeah," The super answered, picking up a cookie and looking at it. "Whelmed."

Robin had a tiny but smug grin on his face at the clone's use of the word, "Good 'cause Canary's having you fight Kid Dork on Wednesday."

Superboy just gave a small hum, picking up his plate and glass of milk. He paused at the doorway, seeming to contemplate something, before turning to M-gann, "Thanks... For the cookies."

"You're welcome!" The Martian said brightly, clasping her hands together.

* * *

Superboy entered his room quietly to see Core laying on his bed, a small book opened up. It was his book, How To Open Up To People. "That's..."

"This stuff is actually pretty good," Core shifted on the furniture until his upper half was hanging off the side and the book was held in the air. "Good stuff to know." He took a sniff and turned his body to look at the super, "Are those cookies?"

"Er," Superboy looked down at the plate in his hands. "Yeah, I thought you'd want some. M'gann made them. They might not be good. They're... Kind of black..."

"Oo, give 'em. J'onn used to make cookies for the League all the time when he first came to Earth. He doesn't make any now, it's kind of sad. But I _love_ cookies! They're just... Amazing."

"Hmm," Superboy walked forward, handing the plate and milk to the other. "Batman came by. He mentioned the League was looking for you. He also mentioned something interesting about your age..." He could visibly see Core tense, the plate lowering to his lap. "He said you were nineteen when you visited and that Robin was four but you're nineteen now and Robin is thirteen." When the other didn't respond, simply tapping the side of his plate, the super sighed, "But you don't have to tell me."

"What?" Core looked up in surprise, the tapping stopped.

"I know when it's hard to talk about something, when you don't want to," The super shuffled his feet a bit, looking to the side with narrowed eyes.

"You're smarter than you look, Baby Blue," Core laughed, stuffing a cookie in his mouth. "It's refreshing."

"Hmm," Superboy tilted his head at the name and shrugged. He tilted his head to the living room.

 _"Do you think he's okay?"_ It was M'gann.

 _"I'm sure Supey's fine."_ That was Wally if the fast talking was any indication.

 _"Yeah, he seemed different today, and not a bad different either. He was... Happy,"_ That was Robin, the Boy Wonder.

"What'cha listening to?" Core stood next to the super, hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweats.

"Nothing, just my team. They said I seemed happy today."

"That's a good thing, right? In any case, I figured since we don't actually need to be in a training room for this, we can work on your control," Core swung his arms like a child. "What do ya say? Yes? No?"

"I'd..." Superboy thought back to all the times his team, and Superman, were wary around him. They thought he was dangerous, unable to control his anger and strength. "I'd like that."

"Crash," Core grinned and the clone figured that meant 'awesome'. "Come sit over here," He walked over and patted the super's desk chair. "Okay, hold this," He pulled out an apple from who-knows-where and tossed it to Superboy.

Superboy caught it with one hand, looking down at it, "What's this for?"

"I was going to use an egg but I only have a pack of apples," Core tilted his head to the open closet which had a crate of apples sitting in the corner. "Hold on to this, roll it in your palm, throw it up and down. This is a life," He tapped the fruit, looking at the super. "This is Robin, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Batman, Canary. These are all the people you care about. Break this and you could break them. Understand?"

"If I manage not to break this, I can control my strength better?" Superboy tilted his head.

"Basically, yeah. Just... Picture your teammates when you hold this and picture the apple when you're with your teammates. You don't want to crush them or bruise them," Core pointed to a dark spot on the apple where the clone's thumb was. "This is only the first stage of control, Superboy. Once you master this, we can move on to another exercise. Sound good?"

"Yeah," Superboy held the apple up, frowning when it was crushed in his hand.

"Hey, no worries. I got more. Let's pretend that was a monkey," Core grinned before going into his closet and picking out two apples. "Try again. You seem like a fast learner so I'm sure you'll get this down by Monday, no sweat."

"Robin said I was sparring with Kid Flash on Wednesday," The clone said, rolling another fruit gently in his palm.

"Okay, so that gives me two days to get you a basic form," Core nodded, a hand on his chin. "No big deal. Anyways, focus on this exercise, okay? Even when you're with your team in the living room. It doesn't _have_ to be an apple. That's just all I had."

"Right," Superboy nodded, determination seeping in his eyes. He got up to go back to the living room when Core stopped him again.

"Hey, while you're at it, bring me some blueberries. I love 'em."

Usually, Superboy would snap because he doesn't like to be told what to do but he just nodded, "Okay."

"Crash," Core grinned, flopping down on the clone's bed.

* * *

Robin watched as Superboy sat on the couch watching No Signal, the static buzzing calmly in the air. The super was rolling an apple in his hand, seeming lost in thought. Ever since he got those cookies from M'gann two days ago, and even before that after training, he seemed different, almost happy. Now, he always had an apple in his hands, just rolling it around or throwing it in the air. He growled when the apple broke in his hand and Robin was tempted to tell him to just put it down but something he saw stopped him.

At the beginning, Superboy broke the apple whenever he held it, sometimes accidentally bruised it, and he would become frustrated with it. Now, the clone didn't so much as dent the fruit and the Boy Wonder realized that Superboy was _controlling his strength._ It was an amazing thing to watch and Robin felt proud for his teammate. He told Kaldur, who smiled gently at the sight of his teammate, "That's amazing."

* * *

"Yes!" Core smiled brightly when he saw the undamaged apple, "I'm so proud of you, Baby Blue! This is progress! Now for the next step," He rubbed his hands together, giddy with happiness. "We'll have to go to the training room for this. Anyone home?"

Superboy tilted his head, listening for any sign of his teammates or mentors, "No. All clear."

"Crash."


	3. Chapter 3

Superboy and Core walked down the halfway, the latter humming Mission Impossible (not that the super knew what that was) as they went. He would occasionally peek into a room, _'oo'ing_ and _'ah'ing_ at different intervals.

"This place is pretty nice," Core grinned, arms behind his back. "Though, I guess it does get lonely when you're the only one around."

Superboy stopped for a moment, thinking that over, "I guess. It's not that bad."

"Sure. This the room? Looks pre-etty cool."

"Yeah, Canary always has us use this room for training and not the others since this is also a tourist destination."

"So that's what all the people were here for! Makes sense. Alright, step right on up," Core flipped onto the sparring platform, spinning to face the super with his arms out wide. "Ready to sweat, Superboy? This'll be awesome."

"Whatever," There was a small smile on the clone's face as he met the other on the platform and he cracked his knuckles.

"When you do your hopping thing," Core laughed at the super's annoyed expression. "You usually crack the floor, yeah?" When he received a nod in response, he continued, "Well, we're going to fix that."

The two trained for two hours, Core directing Superboy on how to jump and land. He gave him pointers on how to center his weight so he would land lightly. He had the super practice multiple times until he was soaked in sweat. "Come on," The temporary mentor urged, a smile on his face. "One more. I know you got this. Come on, Baby Blue."

Superboy took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before taking a leap. When he landed, it wasn't with the usual crashing sound accompanying it. He looked down and noticed that the ground was perfectly in tact. Nothing out of place. He looked up to see Core's proud expression, the first one he'd ever received from any teacher.

"Oh, you are just _amazing_!" Core grinned widely, clapping his hands, "Gods, I'm so _proud_ of you! Now, we can get you a form!"

Superboy was going to respond when he tilted his head, "Someone's coming!"

Core made an 'o' with his mouth before he jumped up and over the rafters, crawling into the vents. Just as he left, Robin and Kid Flash came into the training room. "Hey, Supey," Kid smiled. "What'cha doing?"

"Training," Superboy said in his blunt way, like it should've been obvious.

"I can see that," Robin studied the super. "You're drenched in sweat! What did you do?"

"Control," The blue-eyed hero answered, going to a shelf to grab a towel.

"Make any progress?" Kid asked.

"A bit."

"Can we see?" The speedster wondered, looking excited.

"I guess." Superboy prepared for his leap, taking a deep breath. He jumped and the landing was smooth and neat, shocking his two teammates.

"Holy crap, SB!" Robin exclaimed with a wide smile, "That's more than 'a bit'! You have to tell Canary!"

"Not yet. I'm not done with my training," The super said. "I'm going to get something to eat."

* * *

"You're really impressive," Core smirked as he popped a blueberry into his mouth. "You've made so much progress in such a short amount of time."

"Oh, yeah?" Superboy looked over at the other, who decided to roll around on his desk chair.

"Mmhm. It's amazing to watch. Get a form and you'll be almost unstoppable."

"Guess I just needed the right teacher."

"Aw, you flatter me. Hey, so, how you liking your team? Do you... Feel the aster when you're with them?"

"It's... I'm not used to them yet so it'll take some time. I like them, though. They're... Nice."

"Good. Here, catch," Core tossed a blueberry to the super, who automatically caught it in his mouth without thinking. "That's awesome."

Superboy blinked in surprise, chewing slowly on the food, "How's the form going to go?"

"Well, it's..." Core rubbed his chin in thought, "Here, let's push the bed against the wall and move the desk away. I think I can have you start practicing in here."

The super stood, easily moving his bed over. He looked over to see Core holding up his desk with one arm like it was a dinner platter or something as he used his other to push the rolling chair, "I have a question."

"And I most likely have an answer," Core smirked, popping another blueberry in his mouth. "What's your question?"

"How come Batman let you stay with him for so long? I mean, you had to be a stranger first. How'd you gain his trust?"

"Hmm," Core placed the desk down, flopping down on the chair. "I guess it was because I saved Little Robbie's life."

"Wait, Robin? What happened?"

"Bats was taking the kid out to the park, the one here with a lake, and some kids pushed him in when Robin didn't know how to swim yet. Of course, no one was going to save the little guy so I did."

"Wow," Superboy looked to his right in thought, picturing his teammate now. "Thank you."

Core tilted his head, "For what?"

"Saving him. I... Like... Having him on the team."

"Oh. Well, then, you're welcome! Now, about that form," The nineteen year-old clapped his hands once, a grin making it's way onto his face. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Good! Now, it's kind of like... Dancing, I guess."

"Dancing," Superboy deadpanned, crossing his arms.

"Yes, _dancing_ ," Core tossed another blueberry at the super, who caught it in his mouth once again. "Come over here, I'll show you." When the clone walked over, he began talking again, "Okay, so, your side is facing the door." He turned his body, demonstrating for the clone to do the same. "Then, your left foot goes out while your right stays back. With your right arm, punch forward while your left protects your side. Really, it's just; step out and punch. Practice that for a little until you can do it without thinking."

Core gave him ten minutes, going through the motions with him and occasionally fixing his stance to the best placement. "Got it? Okay, the follow up move with that is a left hook. So, you'll step out with your left, punch with your right, and follow up with a left hook. You'll want to do that fast, not slow. This'll help you in your battle with your team so you don't have to focus on doing different moves. Practice this in the training room with your team or even by yourself sometimes."

"Right," Superboy nodded, finding the instructions easy to follow. "What about dodging?"

"I'll have to show you that in the training room," Core said. "But work on this for now and tomorrow, if no one's at the mountain, we'll head over and I'll show you ways to dodge, okay?"

"Alright," The clone nodded and they went through the exercise a few more times.

"Okay, take a shower. You're going to have to rest up a bit. Rumor has it you have a mission in morning."


	4. Chapter 4

"We have a mission!" Robin announced happily, swinging down from the vents and in front of his teammates. "Well, he's really sending us as security but still! It's a mission!"

"Sweet!" Kid Flash cheered while Superboy grunted in acknowledgement. Kaldur nodded while M'gann and Artemis high-fived.

The team got the run-down with Batman, soaking everything in despite their jittery excitement. They didn't want to mess this mission , they were to escort a truck full of kryptonite (something neither Superboy and Superman were happy about) just outside of a small town just two hours away from the Mountain where old friends of the League resided. They had to stay until the jewels were safely secured inside the other trucks and report back after.

"Alright," Kid stretched his legs, getting himself psyched up. "You guys ready?"

"Ready," Robin smirked, mounting his motorcycle.

"Yep," M'gann hovered over them, a smile on her face.

"Yeah," Artemis went to her own vehicle, adjusting her quiver.

"Yes," Ladur nodded, going to his own.

"Ready," Superboy snapped on his gloves before heading to his motorcycle.

The team started after the large truck when it started and M'gann went to follow when she stopped and turned around. She looked around, confusion filling her. She felt like someone was here, watching them and waiting. She shook her head when the feeling disappeared and quickly made to follow her teammates, who casted her a glance at her hesitation. The feeling wasn't a bad one anyway. It felt more like a parent or guardian watching them.

"You okay?" Artemis asked, her blonde hair whipping behind her.

"Yes," M'gann smiled reassuringly, floating lower to speak with the girl. "I was just lost in thought for a moment. It's nothing, really."

"If you say so."

Superboy glanced back at the two females, creasing his eyebrows together when he caught something behind them. His eyes widened and he quickly swerved his motorcycle arounds, "Ms. M! Artemis! Move!"

The two girls turned and shouted in surprise when robot birds swooped down with razor-sharp talons. The things were even shooting lasers from their _eyes_. They quickly moved, giving the super enough room to reach up and grab the leg of one of them, throwing it at another and watching it explode.

"Nice, SB!" Robin called, swiveling around and driving backwards so he could fight the robots. "Keep them away from the truck!"

The team destroyed many of them but they just seemed to keep coming, like an endless supply. Suddenly, the truck screeched to a halt when the entire road was barricaded with large boulders. Robin, Artemis, Kaldur, and Superboy halted their vehicles while Wally skidded to a stop and M'gann slowed down to hover near them. Their destination, the town where the kryptonite was supposed to be taken, was just over the boulders and they could see small trucks where the inhabitants were waiting for the exchange.

The battle lasted until two hours and the heroes without powers (Robin and Artemis) could feel their strength waning. M'gann was throwing robots into each other but was soon surrounded, desperately trying not to get clawed badly by their deadly-sharp talons. Kaldur was destroying robots with his whips but even he was slowing. Superboy breathed heavily for a moment before something under the truck caught his eye.

A robot had climbed under the truck, sticking itself to the bottom. It's back opened, revealing a timer, and Superboy's body was moving before his brain even caught up, "Bomb! Get down!" He crouched down while his teammates went behind their motorcycles as a means of shelter.

"SB!" Wally and Robin shouted when they heard the super cry out in pain. They had forgotten that the truck was filled with kryptonite.

Said boy was down on the ground, kryptonite stuck going down his left arm from his shoulder to his elbow. He glanced up when a figure swooped down in front of him, vision a bit blurry. Suddenly, he found Core in front of him with a grin on his face.

"Damn, Baby Blue," Core whistled, looking around at the wreckage. "This all looks… Horrible," There was a waver in his voice, worry showing through.

"How- How are y-"

"Sh," Core knelt in front of him, taking a small pack out of a pouch on his belt. "I'm going to remove the kryptonite so you can breathe a little easier, okay?" He continued when the boy nodded, "Then, your teammates will come down here. I can't move you away from here without them seeing me but, thankfully, there isn't much blocking you from them. Okay, I'm going to start."

Core pulled out a white rag and tweezers and cleaned the area where the kryptonite was. Superboy winced every now and then as the jewels were extracted from his arm and he vaguely wondered how long this all took. Where was his team? Just as he thought that, he heard M'gann and Wally call out, "Superboy!"

"Don't say anything real quick," Core spoke, voice dropping down to a whisper. "I'm almost done," He pulled out the last shard, dropping it down beside him, and leaned back. He quickly pulled off one of his gloves, using some of the super's blood to go around the wound, "So they don't know I'm here." He looked up when he spotted some movement and stood, "I'll see you back at the mountain, Superboy," Core grinned and, when the clone blinked, he was gone.

"Superboy," Kid Flash ran next to him, studying him. "Thank God you're okay… Ish. Let's get you out of here. The people said that they can collect the kryptonite. Ms. Martian called her Bioship over so we'll get you out of here soon."

Before the super could respond, his vision turned black and he slumped forward, finally succumbing to the pain.

* * *

When Superboy came to, he could vaguely hear people talking just outside his room with his super-hearing.

" _Will he be okay?"_ It was Black Canary.

" _He had fifteen puncture wounds from kryptonite all down his left arm,"_ Batman responded, voice emotionless, and Canary gasped. " _When the team brought him in, they weren't there and Robin said that no one had removed them. They were gone."_

" _So, you're saying someone removed them without their knowledge? We have to find out who did it."_

" _I have an idea,"_ Batman seemed annoyed as he continued. " _It's his careful handiwork."_

" _You think it was Core?"_ The woman seemed surprised, " _No offense, Batman, but why would he show up on this mission when he's been gone for three weeks, moreover help Superboy out of all of the children?"_

" _I don't know but we'll have to find out. It's the way he is, though. Talk to the team, find out anything new."_

" _Right,"_ Canary sighed and Batman's footsteps retreated from the area. The door opened and the woman walked in, blinking in surprise when she saw the super stir (Superboy having closed his eyes again when he heard her come near). "Hey, Superboy," She said softly, taking a seat next to the boy. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," The clone answered honestly, though he looked distracted as he glanced around the room. He was looking for Core. Somehow, he felt that the man was somewhere in the room watching over him.

"Your team's on the living room worried about you," Canary spoke, thinking that's who the super was searching for. "I'll send them in. Try and get more rest before you get up, okay?" She said and Superboy nodded reluctantly, leaning his head back against his pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

"Supey!" Kid Flash and Robin ran into the infirmary, clearly happy to see their teammate awake, "Man, you scared us!"

"Sorry," He sighed quietly before looking them over. None of them were seriously hurt, only a few bruises here and there, and the super figured he was the only one that needed overtime in the infirmary. "What happened with all the kryptonite?"

"The people came and took them into the town while we got you back to the Mountain," Artemis answered, sitting in a seat next to his bed. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," The teen of steel grunted out, looking away from them for a moment. "I'm almost fully healed," He gestured to his wrapped up arm, lifting it up with ease. Of course, he was still gritting his teeth when a sting of pain ran through it but he hid it from his team. He didn't need their pity. "I'm going to my room."

"Um, okay," M'gann said, smiling softly. "Do you need help?"

"No," He said firmly, resisting the urge to glare at the girl. He got up, careful not to show just how weak he felt, and walked over the door, not looking back at his team.

"And the teen of steel awakens!"

Superboy looked up to see Core sitting on his bed crisscrossed in a pair of sweats and a V-neck, a bag of blueberries nestled on his lap. Propped on one knee was one of the super's books on Sherlock Holmes. The clone had researched that it was one of the most famous mystery novels and had decided to try them out. They were fairly entertaining.

"Have you been reading the whole time?" Superboy asked, tilting his head.

"Well," Core slipped a sticky note in place and lightly closed the book. "Yes and no. Yes with the fact that I've been reading since I've come into this room. No in the sense that I've only been in this room for two hours. Tops."

"Two hours? What have you been doing before then?"

"Oh, you know, spying here, terrorizing there -the usual. So, how'd the mission go?"

Superboy sighed, walking over to sit on the computer chair in front of the bed, which was still pushed against the wall, "You know how it went."

"Well, yes," Core agreed, popping a blueberry in his mouth. "But I only know how the last bit went. Tell me about how it led up to that point," He sifted through the bag of blueberries for a moment before tilting his head up, black goggles flashing in the light.

"Robin, Aqualad, Artemis, and I were driving on our cycles while Kid Flash ran beside us and M'gann flew when I looked back and noticed these robot birds."

"Robot birds?" Core nodded slowly, like he was trying to warm up to that idea, "Did your team bring one back?"

"I'm not sure. Probably."

"Alright, I'll find it," He waved his hand in the air dismissively. "Anyway, you were saying?"

"I noticed these robot birds and turned my cycle around, warning Artemis and M'gann about them since they were watching our backs. I took a couple down before the others noticed and helped. The truck was stopped when the road was barricaded just outside of the town with boulders so we had to fight off the robots. One robot was actually partly a bomb and snuck under the truck and, well, you know the rest."

Core nodded before tilting his head towards the door, "These lock automatically, yeah?" At the clone's nod, he continued, "I wanna see your arm."

Superboy scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion but complied, "The doctors have already examined it and wrapped it."

"I see that," Core hummed, working on taking the wrap off. "But I've talked to Superman a couple of years ago and I know you don't like to talk about him but he gave me a Kryptonian cloth that absorbs sunlight while protecting the wearer from outside forces."

"You're going to use that instead?" Superboy wondered, "But wouldn't they be able to tell it was switched?"

"That's a good point, Superboy, but I've already thought of that. I'm going to first clean the wound and wrap it in the cloth. Then, I'm going to put on a small wrapping only to hide the Kryptonian cloth. All I ask is for you to let me be the one to change your bandages and take it off when you're healed, that way Batman doesn't know I'm staying here. He probably already suspects that I'm in the Mountain anyway, knowing him."

"Are you planning on lying low?" The clone asked, reaching over and grabbing a blueberry, slightly surprising the nineteen year-old.

"Yes," Core answered truthfully, finished with wrapping the super's arm. "But, first, I want you to realize something," He tapped the clone's neck, causing the boy to flinch in surprise. "You've almost died today. You could have died today. You need to be more careful during missions. This is for future references; you can't help how this mission played out, but just listen. You can't charge into a place and think that you're invincible because you're not and today proved that. You and your team need to wait and make a plan before starting a fight."

Superboy was silent for a moment before nodding, "Okay."

"Okay," Core got up, throwing the blueberries on the clone's desk and patting him on the shoulder. "Good talk. I'm heading to sleep. Good night."

"Good night," Superboy said, watching as the nineteen year-old opened the closet door to reveal, what looked to be, a nest made out of fluffy pillows and blankets. Apparently, Core had chosen to take out the extra bed (where he put it, the super had no idea) and decided to just sleep on the floor.

"You're training-" Core cut himself off with a yawn, stretching before snuggling down into his blankets, "-will resume when you're healed. Until then, _relaaaaxx_."


	6. Chapter 6

When Superboy woke up the next morning, the closet door was open and Core was nowhere to be seen.

He sighed to himself and got up, wincing when he hit his arm against the side of the bed. He had forgotten about his injury, sleep still clouding his mind. When he looked around, he noticed a folded note on his desk and walked towards it.

 _If you need me, I'm probably somewhere in the vents. Use something to find me, I guess, if I haven't found you first._

 _Go eat breakfast. Your team's worried about you._

 _Ciao._

 _~Core._

Superboy shook his head at it, tossing it in one of the drawers. He grabbed some clean clothes, taking a quick shower before heading to the kitchen for food. Robin was cooking some eggs, seeing as M'Gann wasn't allowed to cook breakfast for... Reasons. They don't like to talk about it.

"Hey, SB," Robin grinned, giving a two-fingered wave. "Scrambled or over easy?"

"Scrambled," He answered, taking a seat at the bar in the kitchen.

"How're you feeling?"

"Fine. Sore."

"At least it's not as bad as it could have been," The bird shrugged, cracking a few eggs on a pan.

Superboy flashed back to what Core said; " _You could have died today,"_ and nodded, "You're right. Sorry… For worrying you guys."

"It's okay, SB. Just try not to do it again, okay?"

"I'll try but no promises."

* * *

" _Recognize Batman B01. Recognize Black Canary B07. Recognize Red Tornado B04."_

The team looked at each other in confusion when the heroes walked in but stood to meet them. Batman had a blank, if not calculating, look on his face as he studied the YJ team one-by-one. He stopped in front of them, his cape following slowly behind, "We have reason to believe Core is here."

"What makes you think that?" Robin immediately questioned, a large grin on his face. "He's totally playing you, isn't he?"

Before Batman could respond, Red Tornado spoke up, "I sense someone in the mountain that is not authorized inside."

"What?" Black Canary turned to the superhero, "Where are they?"

"In the air vents."

Superboy's eyes widened, something that thankfully went unnoticed by all except Robin. The Boy Wonder tilted his head before he mouthed ' _oh, shit.'_

"It's Core," Batman said without a trace of doubt. "We need to bring him to Justice League Headquarters."

Robin shifted from foot-to-foot before pointing towards one of the halls, "I think I saw him over there! Damn," He whistled, eyebrows raising. "He can still run fast."

"Let's go," Canary and Red Tornado ran off while Batman stayed behind. He looked at the boy and the rest of the young heroes before also walking away.

"SB," Robin spun towards the clone, grabbing one of his arms. "You need to get Core down here and in the Bioship before Bats realizes I lied!"

Superboy was surprised for only a small moment before he pulled out a chair and stood on it, opening up one of the vent covers. He looked inside before raising his hands and clapping, using a bit of his strength.

There was a small thump and a soft ' _son of a bitch!'_ as Core slipped out, landing on the floor agile like a cat. He stood up and brushed off his pants, ignoring the young superheroes for a moment as he turned to Superboy, "Seriously? I know I said to find something to get my attention but that? I almost lost my hearing."

"Core," Robin spoke up, grabbing the nineteen year-old's attention. "The JL are here again. RT sensed you in the vents."

"Sh- Okay, Miss," He turned to M'Gann, who squeaked in surprise. "Where is your alien ship thing?"

"It's called the Bioship," Artemis supplied.

"Yes, that."

"Um, it's right over here."

Five minutes later and Core was in the Bioship and the Justice League members were finished with their search around the mountain. They looked disgruntled and Canary sighed, "He escaped again. I really wish he didn't stay and train with you," She directed the last bit to Batman.

"We'll have to search Headquarters now," The Bat said, ignoring her comment. "He loves to give a chase."

The YJ team watched them go, oddly silent. Finally, Wally spoke once they were fully gone, "We're holding a wanted man in the Bioship."

"He's not a criminal," Robin said, crossing his arms.

"He's still wanted by the League."

"That's true."

When the two young heroes turned around, they were surprised to see Core back in the living room and poking Superboy's arm with an interested expression. He was whispering something to the super, who was nodding seriously. He said something back, which made the nineteen year-old let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"What are you doing?" Wally asked, zooming over to look at the teen of steel's arm.

"I'm making sure his arm's healing correctly," Core answered without looking up, not bothered by the speedster. "And it is. It should be fully healed in three or four days."

"Is that Kryptonian cloth?" Robin wondered, leaning forward to study it.

"Mmhm, swiped it from Superman's place," Core rewrapped it before patting the super's cheek with a grin. "Hey, wanna get some blueberries from the fridge?"

"Sure," The clone stood up, making his way towards the kitchen.

"So, _you're_ the one that's taking the blueberries!" Artemis exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

"Heck yeah! I love 'em!" The nineteen year-old dug through the fridge. He whined when he couldn't find the blueberries but pulled out a container of cheese pizza. "I love blue food. It's fucking awesome."

"I do not understand," Kaldur spoke up, having been quiet the whole time. "Does blue food taste different than the rest?"

"No," Robin shook his head. "Core's always been like that."

"Dude, score!" Said nineteen year-old held up a juice box, holding the straw in between his teeth. He looked up at their weirded-out expressions and raised his eyebrows, "What?"

"Nothing," They shook his head while Wally muttered a ' _I thought he'd be more… Mature…'_


	7. Chapter 7

"If I knew you were going to break into my house any chance you got, I wouldn't have bothered making you a key," Batman stood in the Bat Cave, watching as someone messed around with his computer, a small, yet fond, smile on his face. It was almost unnoticeable but definitely there.

Said person on the computer didn't bother turning around and just took out the lollipop in his mouth, "Shut up."

"What are you doing now?" The Bat walked forward, looking over the other's shoulder, "Are those the blueprints to the training rooms?"

The person sighed and stopped typing for a moment, swiveling in the chair to look at the man. He moved the lollipop in his mouth as he studied the hero through black welding goggles before speaking, "Honestly, I don't know why you're asking these stupid questions when you already know the answers. I was thinking about making some changes to the rooms to accommodate Superboy's enhanced strength better."

"You mean _I'm_ making the changes while you critique from the background while being unhelpful."

"As always," The man grinned, showing off pearly white teeth. "Gotta keep up the routine. So, what's up with the League, Batsy? How're they handling the goose chase?"

"Well," The Bat reached up and pulled off his cowl, leaning against the desk. "They're starting to doubt you're in the Mountain."

"Good, good," He nodded, turning around to type something in before looking back at the hero. "I gotta say, you're acting skills have gotten better, kid."

"I'm older than you, Core," Bruce pointed out.

"Mentally or physically, though?"

"You know the answer."

"Of course I do, kiddo. I'm just testing you."

"Shouldn't you be with Superboy?" It was the Wayne's unsubtle attempt to get the other out of his place.

"He's with his team in the living room watching some movies. He's not up for training yet. Thanks for the Kryptonian cloth, by the way. He's healing up nicely."

"Of course. You would have nagged me for it if I didn't give it to you."

"Glad you know me so well."

* * *

The YJ team was sitting on the couches in the middle of the movie when a voice drifted over one of the characters' dialogue. "What'cha guys watching?"

Kid Flash flinched when he realized Core had slipped in between him and Superboy without him noticing, "What the hell? When'd you get here?"

"Thirty seconds ago. Hey, Baby Blue, what're we watchin'?"

The teen of steel didn't seem surprised by the man's appearance, probably having heard him from a mile away (literally), "I think it was something called Tangled."

"Oo, that's a good one. Scootch over a bit, I need some room here and Bus Stop," He jabbed a thumb at the speedster to his right. "Is hogging all the room."

Robin and Artemis started cackling at the name while M'Gann giggled. Kaldur just shook his head, a hint of a smile on his face. Wally looked indignant as he sputtered in his spot but was ignored by the man next to him.

"Hand over the popcorn, Six-pack," Core patted Superboy's stomach to get him to look down and pointed to the bowl next to the super's arm. He shoved a handful of the food in his mouth, swallowing before grinning, "Thanks. Oo, hey, Robbie, it's the duck scene!"

"I know, it's my favorite part!" The Boy Wonder shushed the others even though they were already quiet and started mouthing the words to the dialogue alongside Core.

The YJ team seemed comfortable around the man even though he was an unknown character. All they knew was his alias and his age (though his age wasn't accurate either if you looked closely enough) yet they let him hang around often enough. It was probably because they felt like they had no right to ask him to reveal himself since they knew it was difficult to. They figured they'd give him some time.

* * *

It was around 1:00am when everyone but Superboy, Core, and Kaldur fell asleep in the living room. "We should head to bed, guys," Core yawned, stretching his arms as he stood.

"Let us take them to their rooms so they are not uncomfortable," Aqualad said, already working on lifting up M'Gann from her perch on the loveseat.

"Ugh, if you wanna be nice," The way Core said it made it seem like he rolled his eyes. Even then, he lifted up Robin bridal style, easily shifting the boy in his arms. "Oi, Baby Blue, grab Bus Stop and take him to his room. I'll come back for Artemis."

* * *

By the time Superboy made it back to his room, Core had somehow beat him there and was sitting on his bed, scrolling through something on his phone. He wore sweatpants and one of the super's black shirts with the Superman logo. The teen of steel didn't say anything as he grabbed a change of clothes and went to the bathroom. He walked over to the bed a little while later and sat next to the man, peering over his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

Core shifted a bit to show the screen better and scrolled a bit through his phone once more, "Fanfiction, man. The fluff is getting to me, I swear."

Superboy thought about the term. He knew what 'fan' and 'fiction' meant but he never heard it together. He pondered it a bit more, "Is it like fiction writing but made by a fan?"

"Mmhm," Core clicked on a link and showed him. "See, this is a show called Supernatural. This person made a little story where the characters do something they want to do. It's something that doesn't actually appear in the show and is made for their own entertainment."

"Sounds interesting," Superboy nodded.

"Some are," The man scrolled through his phone a bit more before finding something to read. "Some are just full of grammar and spelling mistakes. It takes away from the story."

"Do you read them a lot?"

"Not really. I do once in awhile. I just like going through them and finding one I like so I have something to read later. You should go to sleep, dude. It's, like, 1:15."

When Superboy woke up that morning, his arm felt much better and he didn't feel the weight of his comforter on him. When he glanced over he noticed Core curled up on the edge of his bed under the blanket with one of his pillows. His goggles were still on and didn't look to be bothering him as he slept.

"Stop staring at me, creep," Core muttered, his back still turned away from the super.

Superboy had to wonder how he did that. He was tempted to ask but decided not to. Instead, he simply said, "Breakfast is ready."


	8. Chapter 8

"Why do you wear those goggles?"

Core leaned back when a speedster's face was suddenly close to his, "What?"

"Why do you wear those goggles?" Wally tilted his head, "I'm curious."

"Oh," The man adjusted them a bit, a small smile on his face. "These used to belong to one of my friends. He liked to build things but didn't actually need these. The heat never hurt him."

"The cold never bother me anyway," Robin sang under his breath, grinning when Core turned to look at him. "What, you _had_ to know I was going to go there."

Core shook his head, "Baby Blue, let me check your arm." He walked over to the super, who was sitting on the couch, and gently grabbed his arm. Unwrapping, he poked it a bit, a satisfied smile on his face, "Lookin' good. I'd say you can continue your training tomorrow -that is if you let it heal tonight."

"Okay," Superboy nodded and watched as Core rewrapped it. "Are you going to stay here with us?"

"What?" Core leaned back in surprise, eyebrows raised, "What do you mean?"

"You usually disappear," It was Artemis speaking instead of the clone. "You talk to us for a little bit and then disappear and we don't see you until the next day."

"Yeah, man," Robin spoke up. "You're always hiding somewhere. It's like you're not even here at all." He was going to say more but noticed how Core pursed his lips. When the Boy Wonder was little, that was always what the man did when he was contemplating something or he was holding himself back from saying something that could change everything.

"I'm busy," Core started, crossing his arms over his chest, almost defensively. "I have lots of stuff to do around the place -not to mention I'm currently hiding from the League."

"You're busy enough that you cannot rest for a few hours?" Kaldur's question cornered the man, who shifted on his feet like he was contemplating running for the door.

"...No," The man went with, shaking his head. "Look, it's not you kids," He ran a hand through his black hair. "It's just… I'm not used to hanging out with… People. My 'people skills ' are 'rusty'."

"You hung out with me and Batman," Robin countered.

"Yeah, but you were a kid and that was Batman. You both don't count as people."

The Boy Wonder looked proud at that statement instead of offended like he probably should be. "Still, I don't think your 'people skills' could get 'rusty' after hanging out with the League for over four years."

Core shifted to look at the bat and Robin felt like the man's eyes (which he's never seen before) was piercing through him, "I don't like emotional attachment, Boy Wonder. You know this. Look," He ran a hand through his hair again, giving a small sigh. He looked at each of the teens, "I'll hang out with you guys more just… Not right now. I gotta go steal some stuff," Before the others could respond, Core jumped up and into the vents, which was still open from the last time he went in them.

"Did he just say he was going to steal some stuff?" M'Gann squeaked, wide-eyed. She was quiet the whole time, not knowing if she should speak since it seemed like a private conversation between Core and Robin.

Said bat waved her off, "He's probably just taking stuff from the League. No big deal."

Her eyes widened even more. That _sounded_ like a big deal.

* * *

It was around lunch time when the YJ team saw Core again.

"What the hell is that?" Artemis noticed the man running around the living room, cackling as he did. He had a red cloth tied around his shoulders and one of the domino masks Robin used to wear before he went with the sunglasses. The team looked at each other, eyebrows raised, before turning back to the man.

"Can't you tell?" Core shifted so his back faced them and they all gasped.

"Is that Superman's _cape_?" Wally flailed his arms, "How'd you even _get that?_ "

"Um," Core flapped his arms a bit, looking down at the cape. "I walked in his house and grabbed it. It wasn't hard."

"Won't he get mad?" Superboy wanted to walk closer, to touch the cape, but refrained from doing so. Why should he care about Superman anyway?

"Most definitely," Core grinned and took the cape off, draping it over the clone's shoulders. "Come on, Superboy. Live a little!"

Soon, all of the kids ended up laughing and hanging out in the living room. Core was pulling Superboy along, making the cape woosh behind the teen, and he had a large smile on his face. The super could feel himself grinning to and was surprised. He wasn't used to grinning -or showing any other emotion besides anger. It felt… Nice.

And then the good feeling was ruined.

" _Recognize Superman B04. Recognize Batman B01."_

"Oh shit," Core muttered, knowing Superman could hear him.

"Core!" Speak of the devil and he shall appear, it was the Kryptonian himself, "Core, I know you have my cape!"

The nineteen year-old quickly snatched the cape from Superboy, tying it around his own shoulders, "What?" He grinned innocently as the man and noticed Batman scowling at him for wearing the mask. "It's so cool, I just wanted to play with it a bit."

"Core, you're not a child," Batman frowned, walking forward.

For a moment, it was like the air around Core turned cold, "I know, Batsy. You don't have to keep reminding me."

"You're going to have to come with us," Superman said, ignoring his clone, who was standing next to Core. "You know you can't be running around."

"Why?" Core tilted his head, "Because it makes you nervous?"

"Because you're _sick_ ," The super countered. "Come on, we're going."

Before the nineteen year-old could protest, Batman grabbed his arm, prohibiting him from moving, "What, you too, Batsy? I thought you were on my side!"

"Let's go," The bat's tone was flat and he pulled the other along towards the zeta beam.

"Core!" The YJ team stepped forward a bit but was stopped by a Bat Glare.

"You can't just keep him in League Headquarters all the time!" Robin shouted at his mentor, "He's not an animal!"

"Robbie, it's fine," Core grinned at the boy. "I'll see ya later, yeah?"

" _Recognize Superman B04. Recognize Batman B01. Recognize Core B03._

"Dammit!" Superboy slammed his fist on a wall, creating a whole. "Who do they think they are? They can't control Core like that!"

"You're right," Artemis said and Kaldur nodded.

"We gotta do something," M'Gann bit her lip in worry.

"We can't do anything right now," Robin said. "There could be a chance they just need him for a couple days. They don't usually keep him any longer than a week so I'll give them that long."

Two weeks passed.


	9. Chapter 9

"You can't just kee-" The person speaking was interrupted by a coughing fit and his voice was a raspy mess, "Keep me here…"

"It's for your own good, Core."

"Says who?"

"I do."

"Then I think your view of "good" is a little bit skewed, don't you think?"

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Wally paced the floor, only barely remembering not to burn a hole in the floor with his speed, "Two weeks, Robbie. It's been two _weeks_."

"I know, I know!" Robin had a hand on his chin and his eyebrows furrowed. The others just knew he had his eyes narrowed at the ground under his sunglasses and his brain was working a mile a minute.

"Do you know where they could be holding Core?" Superboy spoke up from where he was tense on the couch, blue eyes piercing.

"Well, kind of. There's, like, seven different places he could be…"

"Then, let's narrow those down," Artemis said, motioning for Kaldur to hand he a pen and paper. "List 'em."

"Well, there's one here in Metropolis, one in Gotham, another just a mile out in the desert, one in fucking space, there's one around Superman's place of solitude or whatever, and two in New York," Robin shook his head. "And those are just the ones he _might_ be in. The League has over fifty bases. Core could be anywhere, in any country."

"Shit," Wally rubbed his face, staring at the ground. "Okay, where do you think the JL could take him in a short amount of time?"

"I'd assume anywhere by now," Kaldur spoke up. "Batman seems like the type of man to make someone disappear fast."

Superboy clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth, "What if… What if we went near the bases close by?" He looked over at Robin, ignoring M'Gann, who was staring at him from her spot on the couch. "I know his heartbeat, I'd be able to see if he's near by hearing it."

M'Gann perked up, "Yeah! That sounds like a great idea! Robin?"

"It could work…" The Boy Wonder tapped his chin in thought, "What the hell, it's our best bet."

* * *

"Stop," Superboy's sudden order had everyone freezing. They were standing outside of a warehouse in Gotham, a place a bit away from the actual people. The super was staring at a window at the top and he seemed to straighten and tilt his head at something.

He thought he saw Core tapping the glass.

"He's here," Superboy walked forward, frowning a bit. "There's no one inside. We can go in."

"We must be silent," Kaldur nodded. He turned to Robin, "There will be no disappearing on your own. We must stay together and get Core and leave immediately."

Robin nodded, face serious, "Yeah, okay. You got it."

They went inside and followed Superboy up some flights of stairs. Taking in their surroundings, they noticed that part of the warehouse looked abandoned, like no one had been living in their. It was clean, almost too clean, like someone had just came in and decorated, only to leave later. There was a thin layer of dust on some furniture and some scattered paper on the floor.

After they made it up one more floor, they could hear soft coughing and moans of pain coming from behind a closed door. Superboy opened the door a crack after finding it unlocked. He immediately closed it, turning to his teammates, "You can't go in. He doesn't have his goggles on."

M'Gann frowned and went to say something when Artemis nodded, "Okay. Go in and make sure he has them on before we take him home."

The clone nodded and entered the room, closing the door softly behind him. The room was nicer than the downstairs, a place fit for kings, really. It was clean and wonderful looking and sad and lonely… There were papers scattered and books ripped at the spine and a cup with water spilt on the floor next to a vase.

He went over to the nineteen year-old when he started waking up and quickly covered his eyes with a hand. "Core," He whispered quietly when he knew the other was fully awake.

"...Baby Blue?" Core's voice was equally soft and he relaxed under the clone's touch, completely trusting him not to crush him, "What are you doing here?"

"Getting you out."

"But… Wait, how'd you know I was here?"

"We searched the other places you could be," The super answered, reaching his hand to a table to grab Core's goggles. "Here," He placed them in the other's open hand. "Your goggles are off. I'm going to turn around so you can put them on, okay?"

There was a moment of silence before Core replied, "Alright. Turn around. Did you say 'we'? As in, your team?"

Superboy nodded and turned around. He turned back when there was a tap on his shoulder. Core was sitting up with the goggles firmly back in place and his grin was present on his lips. His face was pale and his smile a little strange but the clone was happy to see him up and not lying down looking like he was dead. "We were worried for you. You ready?"

"Ready," The nineteen year-old got up and nearly stumbled. "Woah, haven't really stood up all this time."

Superboy frowned. He had so many questions to ask but knew this wasn't the time or place. He needed to get his friend home before the League knew they had broken in. "Here," He turned around and crouched in front of the other. "Get on my back and I'll get you out of here."

Core didn't say anything but the super soon felt the other climb on his back. "Giddy up," There was a chuckle in his voice and the nineteen year-old patted the clone's shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

The whole YJ team was in the living room, watching TV. They were glad to have Core back with them and kept a close eye on the black-haired man. He seemed fine but, occasionally, he would cough and sniffle, as if he was sick. It was mentioned before in passing that there was something wrong with him and Core even said so himself to Superboy but he seemed as energetic as ever. They just couldn't see what was wrong.

"Dude, Wally, can you get me some blueberries?" Core asked from where he was on the couch leaning on Superboy's shoulder. He seemed exhausted now and his face was a bit pale but better than before. "They wouldn't let me have some at the warehouse."

"Yeah, 'course," The speedster zoomed off before coming back with the desired item. "Guys, let's watch Star Wars! I bet Supey hasn't seen it!"

"What's Star Wars?" Both Superboy and Core said at the same time.

The team gaped at them. "Okay, we're watching it!" Robin declared.


End file.
